The Church in a Post-Church America

Unexpected.

There may be no more accurate word to describe the year 2020 than, “unexpected.”

From the humorous to the horrific, 2020 has brought everything including the kitchen sink.

How many things have happened this year, that, not even 12 months ago, you would not have thought that that could ever happen in America?

Furthermore, it is obvious that, in our nation, worldview and belief has become the new acceptable racism.

We are constantly being pressured, bullied, threatened, and in some cases forced, to affirm the prevailing cultural narratives, whatever they may be at the moment.

For the Christian in America, this is a new challenge that we haven’t faced.

We don’t know what it’s like to have to make those kinds of decisions once, let alone, increasingly and almost every day.

But its happening.

And in a little more than 48 hours, the immediate direction of our country will be decided.

And that outcome will greatly influence the level of hostility toward Christians and Christianity.

Are we ready?

We are called to be light in the darkness. Are we ready to go through an even darker cultural season?

Are we prepared to do what we will need to do in order to remain obedient and faithful to the commands of Christ?

Because, here it is, the commands of Jesus given to His followers don’t get temporarily suspended because of public health and safety emergencies.

And Jesus’ commands to us are not temporarily paused during a state of emergency to accommodate earthly government power.

We’ve had it easy. We’ve had it good. But it’s getting harder and harder to be a Christian.

I don’t mean to put your faith in Christ for salvation, I mean it’s getting harder to live it out.

And our world is getting bolder with their utter contempt for the things and people of Christ.

Many Christians have heard to the point of exhaustion the truth that believers are not of this world.

We are not citizens of the world, we are citizens of heaven.

This world is not our home.

But we sure have gotten comfortable here, haven’t we?

Now, that comfort is rapidly eroding. We no longer have a home field advantage where people will trust the institution of the church automatically.

Now, the church is seen with skepticism and suspicion at best.

How do we engage our culture with the truth of Christ?

How do we remain steadfast as we follow Jesus through this life?

Are we ready for what this is going to mean for us?

Today, we are going to examine three critical steps, from three parts of Scripture, that we need to take to get ready, to be ready, and to act on that readiness.

And here’s a disclaimer: You might be offended this morning.

And here’s my response to that: Deal with it.

It’s one thing if I offend you out of malice or contempt. That’s on me.

But if you are offended by the truth, honestly, that’s on you.

Because when the truth offends us, that means that we are feeling the Holy Spirit’s conviction in our spirits. And believe it or not, that’s a good thing because the conviction of the Holy Spirit is part of how God leads us to areas where we need to repent and turn back to God so that He can use us more fully for His intended purpose.

And in America, we, as God’s children, need to be available for God to use us.

We are the only ones who reflect God’s light on earth.

And earth needs God’s light right now.

Let’s pray and unpack this.

John 13:31–35 ESV

31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

From this passage, we find three main principles that guide our three critical steps:

Principle #1: To make a stand for Christ, we need to stand out by standing in God’s truth.

Notice that Jesus says how the world will know we belong to Him: by our love for each other.

Jesus did not say, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples; if you vote for the proper candidate.”

The world marks people by their compliance, Christ marks people with His compassion, and He expects that compassion to be reflected from one to another.

Principle #2: We are to love each other God’s way, not our way.

The way humanity understands love apart from God is actually selfish.

I love you for what you do for me. That’s the world’s definition of love. And when you stop doing that thing for me, I now have fallen out of love for you and it’s time to move on.

That kind of love is temporary, conditional, and does not actually care about the other person if for no other reason that this kind of love is willing to abandon as soon as the status quo changes.

Jesus tells us here in John 13 that we are to love each other the way that He loved us. How did He do that? Let’s look at a couple verses and find out.

John 3:16–17 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

We believe that.

But why is it that so many Christians have now so confused politics and temporal worldview with the doctrines of Jesus that we think Jesus came into the world to affirm our personal and individual political perspectives and to condemn all those who think otherwise?

We want to make people right by making them admit that we are right.

Jesus wants to make us righteous by giving to us His righteousness.

Philippians 2:1–11 ESV

1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Translation: Jesus gave up His rights to give us His righteousness. We are expected to do the same for others.

Are you ready?

Are you ready to give up your rights so that others might be lifted up in the name of Christ and thereby receive the righteousness of Jesus?

Principle #3: It should be obvious to both Christians and non-Christians that we belong to Jesus.

John 13:35 ESV

35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The world should be able to tell that we are different, not because of who we vote for, but because of how we love one another regardless of the government we have. And we are to love each other by being willing to give up our rights in order to point them to Jesus so they can inherit through faith His righteousness.

Now, don’t misunderstand me.

I am not saying that we should abandon our national Constitution or Bill of Rights. They are valuable and worth fighting to defend.

But they are not God’s Word.

And more specifically the rights we are to lay down have alot more to do with personal relationships than they do with citizen-government relationships.

Why is it so hard to forgive each other?

Because we don’t want to lay down our right to be repaid for the wrong that has been done to us.

And if we are honest in those moments, we will admit that we don’t really trust that the justice Jesus accomplishes and has accomplished for us is as satisfying as the justice we want to accomplish for ourselves.

The first step we take in being ready to follow Christ against increasing hostility:

Step 1: Learn to love each other God’s way

1 Timothy 2:1–6 ESV

1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

Step 2: Understand that prayer will do more for our nation than our votes ever could

In this passage, Paul is emphasizing to Timothy something of great importance:“First of all”we are to pray (v. 1). We are to ask God for things, talk to him, plead for others, and give thanks for the folks we encounter—the lovable and hard to love (v. 1). Praying for our leaders, “all who are in high positions” (v. 2), is a direct request, one that will serve us well as we seek to live a life that is “peaceful and quiet ... godly and dignified in every way” (v. 2). This pleases God and encourages the believer to hope for the salvation of those around us (vv. 3–4).

Generally speaking, part of being a good witness in the world is being a good citizen, one who cares about the common good. “Early Christians were often accused of undermining the state because they claimed a higher Lord other than Caesar. Yet they would point out that they supported the state by being good citizens and by praying for the emperor, not to him.

In the previous verse Paul said that we should give thanks for all men, and here he connects the thought with those who are in authority over us. We should give thanks for those who are in authority, because God has ordained government in society to keep order (Romans 13:1–7)” (David Guzik, “1 Timothy 2—Instructions for Public Worship,” Enduring Word, 2018, https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/1-timothy-2/).

This doesn’t mean that we become bedfellows with politicians in order to gain power or influence. That can become divisive and corrupt. “Christians are to look for no special favors from the government. Our goal is a level playing field, unrestricted by state intervention” (Guzik). Paul’s instruction for the believer, for the church, is to lead a “peaceful and quiet life” (v. 2). It would be foolish for the church to trade the heart of the gospel for the endorsement of a candidate. Our witness cannot depend on who is in the White House; it must depend on the person of Jesus Christ.

We waste so many prayers. Too often in my own life, I find myself complaining to God instead of praying to Him. Complaining to God does not come from faith, it comes from fear and unwillingness to trust God with that situation.

Can you relate to that?

How many complaints go to Facebook and Twitter and accomplish nothing but furthering division and hatred, instead of becoming prayers and accomplishing God’s kingdom purposes?

We also must acknowledge that praying for a politician—Republican or Democrat—does not mean we have to agree with every one of their political positions. The mandate to pray for our leaders and live peaceably does not negate our duty to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15)—however that may look in our various contexts.

Maurice Watson pastors a church in Washington, DC. He was interviewed after Vice President Mike Pence visited his church. This came directly after President Donald Trump visited a different church and was prayed for from the pulpit. The media covered both instances. In his interview, Watson emphasized the biblical call to pray for our leaders and talked further about the church and his role as a spiritual leader in the geographical political epicenter of the United States:

“When politicians come into churches, I think they need to realize that they come into our space, they come into God’s space. And coming into our space doesn’t mean that we’re supposed to change our message to accommodate them. That we still have to represent a higher power. That the church is not, I think in the words of Tony Evans, to ride on the backs of donkeys or elephants. Jesus didn’t come to ride on the backs of donkeys nor elephants. He didn’t come to take sides. He came to take over. And that we represent the kingdom of God. And so, politicians need to understand when they come into the church, they come into our territory and we are not necessarily bound to change our emphasis or our message to accommodate them (Maurice Watson, “This Pastor Criticized Trump When Pence Visited His Church,” interview by Morgan Lee, Christianity Today, June 5, 2019, https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2019/june-web-only/platt-trump-pence- watson-prayer.html).

When you don’t know how to pray for our leaders, try this:“Pray that they come to faith in Christ. Pray that their decisions honor God and allow for the free spread of the gospel. Pray that God would reach into the souls of our local, state, national, and world leaders who don’t know Him. That He would save them and incline their wills toward His. Our prayers can make a difference” (Charles R. Swindoll, Excellence in Ministry: A Study of 1 Timothy [Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1996], 28)

2 Timothy 2:22–26 ESV

22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Step 3: Fight for the righteous things, not merely the “right” thing

Righteous is defined by Jesus. But just right is subjective to humanity. What’s right for you may not be right for me. That’s why we need to fight for the righteous things, because it’s those things, the things of God that really matter and can make a true difference in our world.

In this passage, Paul is writing to Timothy with additional useful wisdom for a young minster and the church as a whole. Paul reminds Timothy to live cleanly and to stay out of trouble (v. 21). To do that, he says to “flee youthful passions” (v. 22). While that would certainly include sins like sex outside of marriage, substance abuse, or greed for wealth, in the context of the passage, he was more likely referring to “the desire to argue, to develop a unique theology, to make a reputation for oneself by being doctrinally innovative, and the like” (Thomas L. Constable, Notes on 2 Timothy [2020], 38, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/2timothy.pdf). Instead, the man or woman of God should “pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace” (v. 22).

Paul tells Timothy to avoid getting caught up in arguing (v.23).“Timothy needed to ‘refuse’ to participate in unwise and immature debates ... since these generate arguments (‘quarrels’) that prove divisive (cf. 1 Tim. 1:7). ... Those who participate in this activity as a type of sport are ‘ignorant’ (apaideutous). The same Greek word means undisciplined, uneducated, or rude. ... Quarreling over hypotheticals is inappropriate for a servant of the Lord. He or she must instead promote peace and unity among the brethren (cf. 1 Tim. 1:5)” (Constable, 2 Timothy, 39). We are to do our best to live at peace with all, and if there comes a time for necessary correction, let it be done with gentleness in the hopes that it will lead someone closer to God (vv. 24–26).

Today, it feels like everyone has a soapbox they want to get on. Political debate seems unavoidable, especially on social media, where opinions come in fast and furious, often bringing heat but not light. What do we do with people, especially people of faith, who disagree with us? Scott Sauls writes, “It may surprise us to know there was political diversity among Jesus’s disciples. Included in the 12 are Simon, a zealot, and Matthew, a tax collector. Interestingly, Matthew the tax collector emphasizes this difference more than any of the other Gospel writers (Matt. 10:3–4). This is significant because zealots worked against the government, while tax collectors worked for the government. You might say Simon was a right-wing ‘small government’ guy who thought the state should keep out of people’s business, and Matthew was a left-wing ‘big government’ guy who made a career out of collecting taxes for the state. Despite their opposing political viewpoints, Matthew and Simon were friends, and Matthew wants us to know this. Matthew’s emphasis on a tax collector and a zealot living in community together suggests a hierarchy of loyalties, especially for Christians.

Our loyalty to Jesus and his kingdom must always exceed our loyalty to an earthly agenda, whether political or otherwise” (Scott Sauls, Jesus Outside the Lines [Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2015], 6–7).

For those whom we disagree with outside of our faith family, it’s important to remember that what we say, share, or type all play a factor in how nonbelievers perceive not only who we are but who Jesus is and what Christianity represents. Does that mean we should keep quiet, lest we offend anyone? Of course not; we should stand up for what is right and what aligns with God’s Word. We just need to be mindful of the timing and the context of our reactions. Do we have a relationship with this person? Are we treating them like a fellow image-bearer of God? Is there wisdom in sometimes scrolling by and not saying anything at all? Would a face-to-face interaction be better (though riskier)? We don’t have to avoid talking about differing opinions or taking a stand on hard but important topics, but we do need to be discerning in how we handle them.

And our voice should sound like that of Christ, otherwise we will be drowned out by the ground noise and the static of the current culture war.

Before we become too entrenched in our opinions, we must remember that “Scripture will never square with total alignment with any political party. A gospel agenda is not set by partisan think tanks in Washington, D.C. It’s set by Scripture. A gospel agenda may align with some aspects of one political party and some of another—and should spur us to engage in those areas—but it also decidedly rejects some aspects of both. God’s agenda is better, bigger, and more glorious than any one party, nation, culture, or time. The mission of Jesus will outlast every White House tenure. It will outlast America itself. For the Christian, the ‘right side of history’ is always the side that places faithfulness to the eternal God above loyalty to a temporal tribe” (Brett McCracken, “We Need Prophets, Not Partisans,” The Gospel Coalition, March 2, 2020, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/prophets-not-partisans/).

In humility, we can still love those who disagree with us. Our experiences shape us and our opinions. When we take the time to know the person instead of immediately challenging their opinion, it can give us not only perspective but a love for them and perhaps a joy in the diversity of humanity, especially within the body of Christ. Even when the other person’s opinion is not faithful to kingdom values, at the very least, it will give us the opportunity to show grace and practice self- control—two things that glorify God.

Tim Keller writes,“I know of a man from Mississippi who was a conservative Republican and a traditional Presbyterian. He visited the Scottish Highlands and found the churches there as strict and as orthodox as he had hoped. No one so much as turned on a television on a Sunday. Everyone memorized catechisms and Scripture. But one day he discovered that the Scottish Christian friends he admired were (in his view) socialists. Their understanding of government economic policy and the state’s responsibilities was by his lights very left-wing, yet also grounded in their Christian convictions. He returned to the United States not more politically liberal but, in his words, ‘humbled and chastened.’ He realized that thoughtful Christians, all trying to obey God’s call, could reasonably appear at different places on the political spectrum, with loyalties to different political strategies. ... The Gospel gives us the resources to love people who reject both our beliefs and us personally. Christians should think of how God rescued them. He did it not by taking power but by coming to earth, losing glory and power, serving and dying on a cross. How did Jesus save? Not with a sword but with nails in his hands” (Tim Keller, “How Do Christians Fit into the Two-Party System? They Don’t,” New York Times, September 29, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/29/opinion/sunday/christians-politics- belief.html).

And this brings us back, full circle to the passage we started with.

John 13:31–35 ESV

31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Jesus saved His nation not by shoving a sword through the heart of His enemy, but by willingly letting the nails be driven through His own hands.

In a couple days we are going to see the next page concerning the future of our nation, and the future of the world.

No matter what, America is changing. The world is changing.

Our Constitution may not survive. It might. For how long, I don’t know.

Our political and religious freedoms are worth fighting for and defending, but apart from God they are ultimately meaningless.

In the season ahead of us

We need to learn to love one another like Jesus loved us

We need to understand that prayer is our most effective weapon to preserve our freedoms

And we need to fight on the side of the righteousness of God

I want to close by reminding us of the words of the Apostle Paul.

Will you bow your heads and close your eyes as we pray these words together:

2 Timothy 4:1–5 ESV

1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Philippians 1:9–11 ESV

9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.